It is the military life. I did aircraft maintenance and got to work with a lot of great people. You either love it or hate it. The smart ones get out and try their chance at a career that pays more. Its hard to do 20 years in the service.

Pros: Travel, Listening to the concerns of the employee, Learning conflict resolution, Developing excellent life skills when dealing with others.

Cons: There were none...Although the commute was a "bear" on the MARC train.

As a HR Generalist I serviced all civilian employees from serviced areas around the US. It was my duty to counsel them on benefits and entitlements when they started government service and counsel them when the left service and anything issue in between that time. If a employee should die in service I was the one to counsel the family on entitlements as well. I traveled around the US and some overseas work to counsel employees when there was a Reduction-In-Force (RIF) or for new employee orientation classes. My typical day was answering inquiries via email, telephone or in person. I prepared retirement estimates for those who were anticipating retirement within the next five years. I counseled on all types of benefits from: health, life, TSP, military deposits, worker's compensation, Social Security, and disability benefits.

I learned how to present myself as a professional and built a confidence within myself in dealing with all types of personalities and professionals. I learned the confidence in public speaking because I knew my job and preformed it well and knew my subject matter. I learned how to travel around the world and developed a love of people, places and the experience of trying new things. I developed friendships all around this world by opening up and listening to my constituents.

You are likely to work with service members and/or civilians. Your career success or failure is in your hands. Seek opportunities to learn and advance. Management might consist of retired service members who manage as if they are still in uniform; that's just how it is. The military jargon; you'll pick it up. Enjoy the diverse group of people as they transition in and out of uniform.

Great organization to work for, especially for those that have prior military experience. Although this is the civilian sector, you still have daily interactions will all military personnel. Having that common bond helps build relationships. Advancements are far and few between, but if you are looking for steady, consistent, employment this is the right place for you.

The pride of becoming a Marine is only enhanced by the fulfillment of purpose that comes from serving as one. As one of the Few, your schedule will be full, and your mission always fulfilling. Many nights are long and all mornings are early, but every day will begin with the realization that you make a profound difference in the world.

Management was not very effective in motivating employees. Enjoying meeting and interacting with others from different regions of the world. The hardest part of the job was not being able to move to different areas within the commissary and learn new jobs.

Challenging job but allowed me to utilize all of the training and experience I had acquired up to that point in my career. Great co-workers who were dedicated to mission success but also helpful when asked.